‘Fayemi should stop threats, move against pensions for ex-governors’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) yesterday urged the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, to support laws that would channel public funds spent on life pensions for former governors to the marginalised and disadvantaged Nigerians.

The group advised Fayemi to stop threatening legal action for their exposure of unfair and discriminatory life pensions being enjoyed by some former governors backed by laws from their Houses of Assembly.

“Fayemi’s dramatic accusation regarding the content of its letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is unjustified, especially given that the law allowing pensions for governors in Ekiti was passed and retained during his tenure as governor of the state.

“His threat can only serve to undermine legitimate efforts to promote transparency, accountability and sustainable development in Nigeria,” the group said.
SERAP’s remark followed last week statement by Fayemi accusing it of embarrassing him by adding his name to the list of governors receiving double pay and life pensions while also receiving salaries and other emoluments as either senators or ministers.

He also gave SERAP seven days to retract the statement or face
legal action.

But SERAP’s executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni in a statement said, “As a former pro-democracy activist, Fayemi is well-known to us but we do not agree with the accusation that our letter targets the minister or intends to embarrass him in any way, shape or form.

“Our objectives remain to promote the abolition of those obnoxious states’ laws, which seek to allow former governors to receive life pensions either now or in the future when friendly governments are in place in their states, and to secure full recovery of public funds.”

The group said it would not apologise for doing its work and would not stop pursuing these matters, adding that it would continue to work even harder to ensure that states’ laws allowing former governors to claim either presently or in the future life pensions are declared illegal and abolished.